1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to nail clippers for cutting nails. More particularly, the present invention relates to devices and methods for cutting the claw nails of animals.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many different types of animals have claw nails. In nature, claw nails are used for defense, hunting, climbing and the like. Thus, long sharp claw nails are desirable over short dull claw nails. However, with domesticated animals, especially pets, long sharp claw nails present a problem. Pets with long, sharp claw nails can easily scratch their owners. Furthermore, pets, such as dogs and cats, can scratch furniture, wood floors and doors as they move about a home.
It is for these reasons that many pet owners cut the claw nails of their pets. By cutting and dulling the claw nails, the likelihood that the claw nail will scratch a person or an object is greatly reduced. However, the cutting of a claw nail on many animals is not a simple matter. Unlike humans, many animals have blood vessels and nerve endings within their nails. If the claw nail of such an animal is cut too short, the claw nail will bleed and will cause pain to the animal.
In the prior art, there are many different types of cutting devices that are used to cut the nails and hoofs of different animals. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,228,585 to Nelson, entitled Animal Nail Clipper, shows a device that is designed to cut the claw nails of dogs and cats. However, with such prior art clipping devices, the amount of the claw nail that is cut away depends upon the experience of the person cutting the claw nail. If the person using the clipper cuts too much of the claw nail, the claw nail will bleed and will be painful for the animal.
The position of the blood capillaries and nerve endings in a claw nail varies greatly. As a result, in order to be sure they do not hurt an animal, many groomers are very conservative when they trim claw nails. This leaves the claw nail too long, wherein the claw nail can still cause scratching damage.
A need therefore exists in the art for a claw nail clipper that helps a user identify where the blood vessels and nerve endings lie within a claw nail. In this manner, a user can liberally cut down the size of the claw nail without causing pain or injury to the animal.